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WLUW concert kicks off anniversary celebration

The Slaps lead vocalist Rand Kelly (left), guitarist Ramsey Bell (right), and Drummer Josh Resing (not pictured) got together in 2016 when they all met on the campus of DePaul University in Chicago, IL. The trio has played in venues such as Lincoln Hall, Schubas, and the Subterranean since the release of their first album "Susan's Room" in 2017 and are known for their cult-like following on and off the college campus.

Loyola University Chicago's WLUW kicked off the 2018 fall semester with a concert in Ireland’s Pub on Friday night. The event featured three bands: The Slaps, The Valley, and Deeper. The concert was in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the School of Communication (SOC) as well as the 40th anniversary of Loyola’s student-run radio station, WLUW-FM 88.7.

This event was open to students as well as alumni interested in food, drinks, and good music.

"We were thrilled by the amount of people who came out to celebrate with us. Ireland's provided the perfect space for hosting our event, the bands were phenomenal, and most importantly, everyone at the show had a smile on their face," said WLUW General Manager Eleni Prillaman.

Prillaman spent the summer planning the concert with the help of her staff.

"None of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of the WLUW student managers,' Prillaman said. " I feel so lucky to work with such an amazing staff and look forward to hosting another concert like this next year."

SOC Event Planner, Genevieve Buthod, said that planning the year’s events has been a collaborative effort between departments and organizations within the SOC. “We’re definitely celebrating who we are but we also want to show off who we are so that other people notice us," Buthod said. So, maybe students at the university will be interested in joining the School of [Communication] and maybe younger people will be interested in joining Loyola in the first place,” Buthod said.

In addition to enjoying good music, students were able to enter a raffle for the chance to win a trip to Iceland. This ultimate prize included round-trip airfare for two and three-day passes to Iceland Airwaves, a music festival in Reykjavík, Iceland.

The Iceland trip also included lodging and "72 Hours Reykjavik Welcome Cards" providing free access to the City of Reykjavik owned world famous thermal pools, museums, public transportation, plus various retail discounts. The winner was Hannah Masters, a student at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.

“While being able to listen to new music was a definite draw, the chance to win a free trip to Iceland was too good to pass up,” Senior Kelsey Johnson-Davis said.

The 40th anniversary Kick-Off Concert ended on a high with student’s enjoying the music on a makeshift dance floor. Sam Hudock, WLUW’s Promotions Director, said putting together this event had become his favorite project since he got started with the radio station two years ago.

“This event was very fun, we’ve worked on this all summer whether it’s from deciding where we’re gonna put it, to the numerous meetings for logistics, to making a brand image,” Hudock said. “It took us a lot of work and a lot of thought, so this is our proud moment.”